The Eight Stages of Shooting
by Vanui
Summary: You know what they say about the best laid plans. Not that combining the art of kyudo with the practice of confessing can even be considered a half-decent plan. Nozomi doesn't tell Umi this, though.


Step one is footing.

_While looking at the target, take a half step towards the centre of the target with the left foot. Then, close the right foot against the inside of the left foot, and with one step, open the footing with a fan-like action. In this method, do not look down at the feet._

This is how Umi trips in front of Kotori behind the school, missing the crack in the sidewalk beneath her feet, and as she barely manages to regain her balance, she starts to really ponder just how wise it was to decide to take advice from kyudo and apply it to this disastrous endeavor.

Her face burns as Kotori's bright smile parts to release a small giggle.

The warrior within her reminds her that it is too late to turn back. Do not leave any task half-done, and so she forges ahead.

It doesn't help that she knows Nozomi is waiting around the corner, preventing her escape anyways.

Step two, she continues, is forming her torso into the proper shape.

_The centre of gravity should be placed in the middle of the body. Regulate the breathing. Settle your spiritual energy in the abdomen. The line of the shoulders and the hips should be placed on the same plane, parallel to and above the feet._

She straightens.

"Umi-chan?" Kotori calls out, head tilted in curiosity. Her grey hair shines bright in the afternoon sun.

The pounding of her heart makes it difficult to temper her breathing, and she hopes she isn't glaring at her friend as she desperately tries to focus.

Her palms, tucked behind her back, sweat around the object clutched within her grasp.

Spiritual energy, eh?

Nozomi is going to give her plenty of that if she doesn't go through with this.

A nervous tongue darts out and wets her dry lips.

Kotori continues to smile in sweet innocence of what she's about to do.

Step three involves readying her bow, and with that, she starts to aim.

_Divide target with the ridge of the nose. Sight to the centre of the target primarily with the right eye. View target calmly with the gaze of both eyes passing along the centre line of the nose. Focus the spirit and regulate the breathing. The eyes must not blink._

"Kotori," she chokes out, and the second she locks eyes with Kotori's twinkling gold ones, it takes all her years of training not to look away. Eyes on target. Focus.

Cheeks steadily heating up, she swallows the knot in her throat and tries not to blink.

"What is it, Umi-chan?" Kotori beams. She's so happy, Umi almost thinks her friend knows just what is about to happen, and suddenly, she's not sure what she's more terrified of: the possibility of rejection, or the possibility of acceptance and what comes after.

The tips of her ears burn, and the heat of the afternoon sun scalds the top of her head.

Step four…

_Focus spiritual energy into the legs, hips and abdomen. Do not put power into the chest and shoulders._

Nozomi had had a few choice words about this step, and Umi feels her face set itself on fire. The instinct to bolt and bury herself into the ground is strong, but her fear of running away and straight into Nozomi's embrace is even stronger than that.

So she quickly moves on to step five.

Draw the bow back.

Her arms quake.

At this, Kotori leans slightly forward, eyebrows tilted upwards in sudden concern, as she inquires, "Are you okay, Umi-chan?"

Her eyes begin to water, but she refuses to blink.

Step six, and she whips her arms to her front, paper crinkling and wet from her clammy hands. Her friend's gold eyes remove their concerned gaze to focus on this new development, and Umi's simultaneously relieved and mortified.

_Be firm. Gradually strengthen the power of the abdomen until the optimum moment which is just before release._

She's so close, she just has to finish this. There's no other choice. Her bow is already fully drawn, arrow notched, gaze focused intently on her target.

Bullseye, or nothing.

Step seven: release.

"Kotori!" she all but shouts, and her friend jumps, eyes wide, body tilting back.

No regrets. None at all. Let the arrow fly true. Release.

"I like you!"

Her voice echoes throughout the courtyard, and her head rapidly approaches meltdown levels of heat.

Like clockwork, her arms shoot out, letter snapping from the speed and force of her actions, and she bows, finally breaking her focus.

Eyes squeezed tightly shut now, she finishes.

"Please go out with me!"

Silence.

The wind gently howls, but Umi can hear none of it over the hammering of her heart in her ears.

If there is a god, she thinks, please strike me down now.

"Umi-chan."

Her heart stops.

"Um…"

Here it comes, she bleakly realizes. I've ruined everything. Our friendship will never be the same. Will it still even be here after this?

Oh, no.

What if this destroys μ's?

She can't stand the thought.

Trembling, she begins to think of where she can find a sharp arrow to commit seppuku with.

Her father should have some stored away in the house somewhere.

But maybe it'd be cleaner and easier with a blade…

"Um, Umi-chan…"

She gulps. If it weren't for her manners, she doesn't think she'd be able to answer. As it is, courtesy forces her voice.

"Y-Yes, Kotori?"

With bated breath, she waits.

"Um… Umi-chan… you… um… you're holding onto the letter so tightly, I can't actually take it…" And Kotori sheepishly laughs, sounding every bit as shy and embarrassed as Umi feels.

She drops the letter in her haste to react.

"Ah!"

Darting down, she freezes when she notices Kotori do the same, but before she can stop herself, her hand lands atop of Kotori's which sit on the sweaty, dirty, crinkled letter on the sidewalk.

From somewhere in the back of her mind, she hears step eight echo loud and clear.

_After the release of the arrow, do not change your posture, but observe intensely the place where the arrow has hit. _

So she obeys.

Slowly, her eyes slide from their joined hands, up the blue of her uniform's sleeve, across shoulder and grey hair, to settle on a face as tomato red as she feels her own is.

Her gold eyes are open wide.

She's beautiful, Umi thinks. And cute.

So cute.

Unable to stop herself, she notches another arrow back, takes aim, and fires.

Her lips don't miss.

…

"Umi-chan?! Umi-chan, are you okay? Umi-chan? Umi-chan!"

From around the corner, seven heads peer at their two friends, one passed out on the sidewalk, the other frantically trying to bring the first back to life, both of their faces flushed bright and hot.

"Wow," Maki quirks one red eyebrow up. "I didn't think she'd actually kiss her."

"Nozomi is… quite the matchmaker," Nico deadpans, lips curled downward.

Nozomi, however, merely blinks. "Even I didn't think she'd go as far as to do that. I didn't think she had it in her."

"That's Umi-chan for you," Honoka grins. "Come on, let's go congratulate them!"

"Let's go, nya!"

"W-Wait, hold on, maybe we shouldn't–"

"Come on, Kayochin~ Maki-chan, too!"

"H-Hey, wait, what are you doing?"

"My, my, our underclassmen sure are energetic," Nozomi snickers into her palm. "Isn't that right, Elicchi?"

Nobody answers her.

"Elicchi?"

With a drawn, haggard look, Eli grabs Nozomi by the shoulders and mutters, "This confession… It was greater than mine, wasn't it? Nozomi… I was beaten by Umi.. Umi, of all people… did a better job than me when I confessed to you…"

Nozomi's eyebrows shoot off her forehead seconds before her lips curve into a devious smirk. "It's okay, Elicchi," and her eyes dart playfully to the side, purposely directed at Nico whose arms are crossed and whose eyes are wary, "somebody here still hasn't even mustered up the courage to confess at all yet."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" comes the angry retort from the twin-tailed idol.

"I'm sure you don't~" Nozomi sings out. Patting the still sulking Eli on the head, she pulls a card from her pocket and grins.

"But soon… soon, you will."

* * *

A/N: Happy Birthday, Umi! There's still an hour to spare in my timezone, so I MADE IT. Many thanks to Illithidinside for the suggestion, and Divine Vengeance for the words of encouragement.


End file.
